Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

Even if you don't care about ultrarunning or know anything about the sport, Eat & Run can be an entertaining and thought-provoking read. It's more than just a story about a man who has been one of the most dominant ultrarunners in the world for the last decade, it's about a man who seeks to transform himself through dedication to his sport, a conscientious way of living (especially through diet) and searching always for greater insight into himself. Jurek began making a name for himself in the ultrarunning scene in the late 90s, when he first began winning big ultrarunning events. He was featured in Christopher McDougall's bestseller, Born to Run, as he was one of the gringo runners who went up against the now-famous Tarahumara Indian runners in their native land. The book is entertaining as it details all the tribulations individuals go through who engage in extreme sports, who push themselves beyond limits most of us can't cross -- and do it time and again as a way of life. The book, though, is also compelling as biography, and Jurek comes across as an unpretentious guy who comes from simple, working-class roots who had to deal with many challenges early in life (an overbearing father, relative poverty, a mother who was sick from MS) and because of those challenges, became a fierce competitor with a drive that is admirable to say the least. The format is a bit quirky, with chapters about running mixed with recollections about youthful experiences and then random vegan recipes sprinkled throughout. There's also a lot of reflection/introspection, as Jurek melds existentialism with the runner's and vegan's way of life (without being preachy). The fact that Jurek is vegan is initially amazing for what he puts his body through, but it makes sense once you understand that Jurek's whole approach to living is about simplicity and purity. The book was a great read and inspired me to re-think some of my own limitations. I think it could do the same for you.

Biography. I liked this book more than I liked other sports biography books. I felt that this book was very well-written, well referenced, educational, and told some interesting stories about the field and history of ultramarathons. In particular, I felt the book did a really nice job of consistently presenting the author's inner thoughts, goals, feelings, and life story without coming across as being too egotistical, or too self-centered. This made the book much more accessible and enjoyable to read (at least for me). The detailed index with hyperlinks was a very nice touch in the Kindle e-book. There were separate indexes for the recipes and for the general index. The only letdown in the book for me – And I admit it is a minor one – is that given the depth of thoughtfulness in the book, I found the ending to be a bit abrupt. One minute the author finishes a big race, and three paragraphs later the book is over. I was expecting a longer section or closing chapter with a summary of the author's retrospective thoughts on his life and career, what major lessons he learned, what (if anything) he might do differently if he had it to do over again, and what recommendations from his fairly unique life perspective that he might make to the general population of readers. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good biographies. I think the authors did a really nice job.

This is currently $3.99 for the kindle version. I don't know if it's always that price, but if not, then get it while it is! I thought this would be a book I'd want to read (I don't think I've read a sports biography type book before), and when I saw it at $3.99, I was bored, so got it and started reading. I couldn't put it down... I got to bed later last night than I wanted.. I recently rekindled an interest in endurance sports after doing practically nothing for the last 15 years. From his dates in the book, I think Scott Jurek is either my age or one year older. I sure wish I was reading this book 15 years ago, I wonder if it would have inspired me to keep doing what I was doing then (and restarting now). I connect with his sarcastic yet intellectual story telling; oddly, I would compare (slightly) his writing style to that seen by Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye ; some may disagree, but I thought this right from the start and maybe that's why I enjoy the writing as well as I do (this is just my thing). Some of the characters in the book just have fantastic stories; I'm sure some are true, some less so (i.e. some of the 'rumors' on Dusty as a kid), but all are fascinating. The other really nice part of this book are the running and vegan cooking tips. Both are just great. The running tips connect to something I'm studying right now anyway (reading Chi Marathon ) and I really think I'm going to at least cook up this vegan chili he writes about. Regarding the vegan recipes. It should be obvious from the title, but it didn't really hit me until a few chapters in. A major theme in this book seems to be one of connecting a vegan diet with improving one's endurance potential. I would leave that to each individual reader's opinion, but for me it is motivating me to (again) go back to something I was doing 15 years ago. Well, I'm still only partly through the book, it's raining and 40 degrees outside. Something tells me that if I were Scott Jurek I'd be out there running, but I really want to see what else happens in this book!

A fantastic read. I was reluctant to read it at first because, while I am a long-distance runner, I'm a pretty average 5k, 10k, half-marathon, marathon kind of guy. I had recently read Bill Rodgers' and Alberto Salazar's memoirs, and I was gripped by both their personal stories and their descriptions of some of their great marathon victories. While I can't really relate to the mentality of an elite runner who is running to win a race, I have run marathons and can at least understand (and love) the event itself. Ultra-marathons, on the other hand, are completely incomprehensible to me, so I figured that reading an ultra runner's account of his races wouldn't have the same level of interest for me. On the contrary, Scott Jurek, though his humble and forthright account of the personal questions and little demons that drive him, made the event (and the people who run it) come alive for me. It is, I think, a profoundly different mentality, but one that is not entirely alien to me. His childhood, his relationship with his parents, his failing first marriage, his friendship with Dusty, his quest for a deeper meaning in life and in running - they are all part of the at times grueling, at times exhilirating experience of his life. Finding the symmetry between his running and his living makes for exceptionally compelling reading. I was also very much moved by his quest to lead a natural life, through his running and through his eating. I was a vegetarian for several years, then I slipped back into eating meat. Reading Jurek's book made me go back to not eating meat, but more importantly, it helped make me much more conscious of the ethics of how and what we eat. What and how we eat are not just things we do, it's who we are. Scott Jurek makes that point in simple and profound ways in this book, but he always does it with humility. He's not preaching, not proselytizing, not moralizing, just explaining how he has chosen to live his life and why.

Scott Jurek is known for two things, primarily: following a vegan diet, and running (and winning) ultramarathons. So when Scott Jurek writes a book called "Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness", one should expect all other aspects of Jurek's life rendered erroneous. If you are looking for detailed descriptions of Jurek's relationship with his sarcastic and rebellious best friend, ex-wife, father, mother, or current girlfriend, you will have to wait for his next book. A book which, I might add, will seem completely irrelevant and pointless coming from a man known primarily for being a vegan and running ultramarathons. Conversely, Scott Jurek is not known for being a writer. The writing is simple and often repetitive, like a mantra one might silently chant while fighting inner demons and physical fatigue during a 100+ mile race. A solitary sport, running leaves one plenty of time for contemplation. Jurek revisits the same themes and even the same phrases over and over again, which can lead to some tedious reading. However, the repetition actually helped create a consistent narrative - Jurek's running became the inner and outer representation of his quest to answer the big questions in life. As someone who has been known to pound the pavement from time to time, I can appreciate the mental fortitude required to accomplish even a 3-miler, let alone an ultramarathon. Jurek clearly knows what it means to endure. His stories are genuine and honest, and though he tends to focus on his race victories and underplay the defeats, the victories are the better and more triumphant stories - the ones that recall the power of the human spirit. Plus, Jurek is known for winning, not losing. The vegan recipes and running tips at the end of each chapter remind the reader that the purpose of this novel is not just a narcissistic recount of Jurek's greatness - he also wishes to educate and inspire. Indeed, after reading this book, not only do I have a fresh variety of tasty vegan dishes to mix into the weekly meal routine, but I'm also experiencing a renewed vigor to get out there and log some miles.

Being an avid runner, an addict for sure, I discovered this book when looking to read something from the ultramarathonman, Dean Karnazes. This book reviewed well, so knowing nothing of Scott Jurek, I ordered the Amazon version. I was immediately drawn into the mostly chronoligical tale of his life and his race experiences expertly co-authored by Steve Friedman. Although Scott is a legend with an amazing resume of ultra race wins, he is also a human being with a very human experience that many can relate to. I appreciate that he bared all and found it very easy to bond with his vulnerability. I think his references to his mother got me the most choked up, since she inspired him with her tragically long battle with MS which eventually took her life at an early age. Scott adventured to places that most of us can only dream of, driven by his deep desire to push beyond all limits long after most have thrown in the towel. The spritual angle of the book I found most appealing; going beyond the physical realm of running into the largely mental realm of ultras. I also was very inspired by his veganism, having been a vegan for nearly 10 years in the 90s, and how he used his purefied diet to help propel him to amazing running feats and rapid recoveries. As a runner, I can easily say that is an area I could improve on, I tend to use high mileage as license to pound bad calories rather than considering a much higher quality diet as Scott espouses. The recipes were a great touch (looked delicious, can't wait to try) and I loved the nuggets of running advice; another great aspect of this book. Overall, extremely well crafted, by many talented hands, first and foremost by Scott himself who provides the "meat" by his amazing journey of nearly 40 years and counting. Great work -- highly recommended to all!

I am a casual runner at best--my race of choice is a 10K, and I will never be a marathoner, but I'm fascinated by these athletes who push themselves to the absolute limit of human endurance. I read an article about Scott Jurek in Runner's World and picked up his book, wanting to read more about the psychology of ultra-racing and his vegan diet. I found this book to an enjoyable, but uneven read. There were parts of the book that I found engaging--the descriptions of races, for one. When he describes running uphill on mile 100 through the searing Death Valley heat, running through the pain of a sprained ankle, and trying not to pass out from dehydration (or too much hydration), you feel like you're right alongside him in his road crew cheering him on. His sarcastic, pull-no-punches running partner Dusty is a great character, and I enjoyed reading about the way they trained together. He shared some beautiful and poignant moments with his mother, who suffered from multiple sclerosis when he was growing up. Although I'm an omnivore myself, I liked the vegan recipes (and tried some of them) and found the passages on veganism to be interesting, not preachy. I would've liked to have read more about his relationship with his wives, both current and ex--his wife Jenny is only mentioned in passing at the end of the book, and scant mention is made of his first wife Leah. What was her (their?) role in his life and running career? He delves deep into his difficult childhood, and those chapters are some of the best in the book, but doesn't devote much space to his personal relationships as an adult. To me this was a glaring omission. I bought the book to read about the unique mindset of an extreme endurance athlete, and in some passages, Jurek excelled at this. But here and there, he would change gears and speak to the casual runner (e.g., me), or someone who wants to give running a try. There are other books out there which do a much better job of targeting that population and those passages in this book felt thrown in, or added haphazardly. I would've rather have seen that space devoted to ultrarunning.

I liked the format. It's a bit unique in that it ends chapters with recipes and running tips and while at first I questioned whether they fit in with the story, I found myself looking forward to what recipe ideas he would have next. The training tips were oftentimes thought-provoking and helpful too. I also really enjoyed the story. I like how he weaves his personal story throughout. By providing a context for how he got into running, his family background, and details about himself and his friends, it makes the race reports all the more enjoyable. Being new to ultras myself, I found the race info captivating and motivating. The only constructive criticism I have is that I think the book would have been enriched with additional attention to his struggles along the way. While he does finish the book with some of his tough times and solid introspection, I think the book could have been more well-rounded with more insight into what he was thinking when he didn't do as well or when he dropped out of races. It's clear he's really focused and thoughtful by the way he tells of his victories. Adding more insight into what goes on in his mind when defeated would probably have enriched the story. Overall though, this criticism does not detract from the book but is merely something I was left wanting. I still think it's a 5 star book and one I am quick to recommend.

I enjoyed it from the first sentence until the last, and it got me inspired to try and become a better human being. Many thanks to the author for sharing his story with the world.

Fantastic book, loved every page of it and inspired me to think about my first ultramarathon.

Este libro es muy bueno para aquellos a quienes les interese el tema de ultramaratones y carreras de resistencia. Lo mejor es que está enfocado en una dieta saludable, vegana y sin alimentos procesados. Lo había escuchado como libro en audio pero decidí comprarlo porque quería tener las recetas impresas. Hay muchas recetas, muy fáciles de hacer y súper saludables. Sin embargo, si no te interesa leer sobre las dificultades de ese tipo de dietas/deportes, podrá ser un poco aburrido.

I really enjoyed this book. Although focused on his amazing ‘ultra’ achievements it also gives an insight into his childhood, family and how he became one of the world’s greatest ultra runners. Its an easy read and unlike many running books Scott doesn’t bang on about how wonderful he is, his times and PB’s etc. There are so many running books that come across as being written purely for bragging rights – although a marathon runner myself I don’t want to read about an individual’s PB in this race or that race. Scott really conveys how difficult ’ultras’ can be and is modest in his writing, none of it is easy and you get the sense of how much effort, resilience and mental strength is required to complete these races (any distance runner will tell you it really is mind over matter). The end of chapter recipes are interesting and have also provided some inspiration (as a vegetarian trying to cut out diary). I’m currently reading ‘North’ which is an equally good read about his running the 2000+ mile Appalachian Trail documenting not just his struggles with the terrain, weather etc. but his mental health and motivational struggles. Have found both books to be very inspirational.

Curieux de comprendre comment mélanger entrainement lourd en course à pied et régime végétalien, j'ai découvert un livre passionnant, sur un champion d'exception, un homme touchant que l'on accompagne tout le long de ses succès, mais aussi de ses échecs dans le dernier tiers du livre. J'ai préféré la lecture de ce livre à Born to Run, car il ne s'éparpille pas dans les digressions scientifiques, médicales, techniques, et reste focalisé sur l’entrainement, les courses et la diététique. L'anglais est aussi plus accessible à lire. Enfin, il se dégage de belles émotions de ce livre, que je conseille à tous, coureurs ou non, pour les leçons de vie qu'il contient. A lire absolument (et je précise que j'ai également adoré "Born to Run). Je pense que je le relirais à nouveau quand l'envie de courir s'émoussera......